Automobile top ski and ski pole carrier



Sept. 3, 1957 M. w. PERRY AUTOMOBILE TOP sxx AND SKI POLE CARRIER FiledAug. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Malcolm W. Perry IN VEN TOR.

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puny 5m p 1957 M. w. PERRY AUTOMOBILE TOP sx: AND sxx POLE CARRIER FiledAug. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 km MM R 3 R M m R m ,m w R L nm G mw 6 JR Rm Q R\ m mm Nam United States AUTOMOBILE TOPSKI AND SKI POLE CARRIERMalcolm W. Perry, Bristol, Vt. Application August 18, 1955, Serial No.529,092

3 Claims. (Cl. 224-421) My invention relates to improvements in combinedski and ski pole carriers for transporting skis and ski poles ontop ofan automobile.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a carrier includingmeans for attaching the same to an automobile top, together with meansfor clamping and supporting a maximum number of pairs of skisside-by-side and horizontal and means for clamping and supportingassociated ski poles for the skis in horizontal position above the skisparallel therewith.

Another object is to provide a ski rack with attaching means and pairsof fixed and movable clamping members for engaging opposite sides of theskis and which are easy to operate and will securely hold a maximumnumber of skis parallel with the automobile top for easy removal fromthe sides of the automobile.

Still another object is to provide a ski pole rack atmatched to. the skirack for carrying the ski poles parallel with the skis and above thesame and which is especially constructed and arranged for easy and quickinsertion of ski poles therein sidewise.

Still another object is to provide a ski pole rack detachable from theski rack and foldable for arrangement with the ski rack into a compactbundle for storage or carrying manually.

Yet another object is to provide a ski and ski pole carrier for theforegoing purposes which is safe to use, substantially foolproof,durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other and subordinate objects together with the precise nature of myimprovements will become apparent when the following description andclaims are read with reference to the accompanying drawings forming partof this specification and in which:

Figure lis a fragmentaryview in plan illustrating my improved carrierattached to an automobile top;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in longitudinal section of oneend of the ski rack;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical transverse section taken onthe line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in transverse sectionand partly in rear elevation taken on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 66of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a cap member forming part ofmeans for attaching the ski pole rack to the ski rack.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the carrier of my inventionincludes a ski rack 1 and a ski pole rack 3.

The ski rack 1 comprises a ski clamp supporting bar 5 of a lengthcorresponding substantially to the width of an automobile top 7 andwhich is of rectangular crosssection, and of inverted channel bar formto provide a bottom longitudinal groove 9 therein for a purpose pres-2,805,015 Patented Sept. 3, 1957 ently seen. The bar 5 supports atopposite sides of its transverse center longitudinally spaced pairs ofski clamps 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25', 27, 29, 31, 33,respectively, which. are alike and constructed as follows.

Each pair of ski clamps comprises a pair of'complementary fixed andrelatively slidable clamping saddle mem bers 35, 37 of right angled formstraddling the bar 5;

The fixed saddle members 35 are fastened to the bar 5 by screw bolts 39passing transversely therethrough and through the bar 5 and groove 9.The slidable saddle members 37 are slidably fastened on said bar 5 formovement longitudinally thereof into and from clamping relation to thecomplemental fixed saddle members 37 by screw bolts 41 passingtransversely therethrough and through the bar 5 and groove 9 andslidable in longitudinal slots 43 in opposite sides of the bar 5.

A coil spring 45 in the groove 9 having its ends hooked around thefastening bolts 39, 43 of each pair of complemental saddle members35, 37urges the slidable clamping member 37 toward the fixed saddle member 35into clamping relation thereto and normally into engagement therewith.It is to be noted that the slidable saddlemembers 37 are slidableinwardly of the bar 5 away from the fixed saddle members 35 and thesprings 45 urge said members 37 outwardly of said bar 5 into clampingrelation to said members 35.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, the fixed and slidable saddle members35, 37 are provided with fiat tops 47, 49 for seating flatly themidportion of a ski 51 and at remote ends thereof with transverse topchannel flanges 53, 55 with channels facing each other so that saidflanges will fit over the sides of a ski 51 to clampingly engage the skiwhen the ski is positioned on the fixed and slidable saddle members 35,37 of a pair transversely thereof and of the bar 5.

The attaching means for the ski rack 1 comprises a pairof resilientsuction cups 57, 59 depending from and suitably fixed to fixed saddlemembers 35 and for engagement with the automobile top 7 adjacentopposite sides thereof, to anchor the rack 1 on said top in transverseposition relative thereto with the bar 5 spaced above said top. Furtherattaching means for the rack 1 is also provided adjacent the ends ofthe. rack outwardly of the suction cups 57 comprising a pair ofhold-down hooks 61 for engagement under the top gutters 63 on the top 7and which are each swingably mounted on the bar 5'by a pair of eyescrews 65,. 67 connected by a turnbuckle 69 for tightening the hook. Thehooks 61. are swiveled on the eye screws 65 while the eye screws 67 areinserted in the groove 9 and pivot-ed on securing1screw bolts 39 offixed saddle members. 3.5Tadjacent the endsot the bar 5.

The skipole rack 3 surmounts the ski rack 1 coplanar therewith andcomprises a pair of clip supporting bars 71 arranged end-to-end withconfronting ends 73 pivoted, as at 75, in the upper end of a yoke 77rising from the bar 5 in the transverse center of said bar and on whichsaid clip supporting bars 71 are vertically swingable for a purposepresently seen. The yoke 77 comprises a pair of opposite vertical checkplates 79 straddling the bar 5 and bolted, as at 81, to opposite sidesof said bar 5. A cap 83 straddles the upper ends of the check plates 79and is secured thereto by the pivots and said cap 83 is notched, as at85, to limit upward swinging of the clip supporting bars 71 to verticalposition.

Longitudinally spaced resilient clips 87 are provided on the bars 71 andwhich open toward the outer free ends of said bars 71 for insertion ofski poles, as at 89, sidewise therein in horizontal position andparallel with the skis 51, there being one clip 87 for each pair of skiclamps spaced above the same. The clips 87 are suitably fixed at closedends thereof to angle brackets 91 secured on top of said bars 71 byscrews 92.

A tension spring 93 anchored at its ends to a pair of the angle brackets91 on opposite sides of the yoke 7.7 to dispose said spring abovethepivots 75 urges the clip supporting bars 71 into upswung position.

'Locking means is provided for holding the clip supporting bars 71 downin horizontal positionin opposition to the spring 93. This meanscomprises a pair of locking dogs 95 having shoulders 97 thereon forlockably engaging in the outer ends of the ski clamp supporting bar 5.vThe dogs 95 are provided with lower cam ends 99 for engaging the outerends of the bar as the bars 71 are swung downwardly into horizontalposition and are pivoted, as at 98, at upper ends thereof to the outerends of said bars 71 to swing inwardly and outwardly of said ends of bar5. Tension springs 101 are connected to said dog 95 and to the clipsupporting bars 71 to swing the dog inwardly to engage the shoulders inthe outer ends of the bar 5. As the clip supporting bars 71 swing towardhorizontal position, the cam ends 99 engage the ends of bar 5 and swingthe dogs 95 outwardly to stretch the springs 101 so that when theshoulders 97 register with the groove 9, said shoulders snap into theends of bar 5 to lock the clip supporting bars 71 down against upwardswinging by the spring 93.

In operating the described carrier, the same is attached in the mannerdescribed, the clip carrying bars 71 are swung down and locked down andthe ski poles 89 inserted sidewise in the clips 91 from the sides of thetop 7. Bars 71 are then unlocked so that the springs 93, which are ofthe requisite strength, swing said bars 71 upwardly, as shown in Figure2, with respect to one bar, to elevate the ski poles. This provides forready access to the pairs of ski clamps 11 to 33 for clamping of skis 51therein in the manner and in the position described by inserting theskis 51 in said clamps sidewise from the sides of the top 7. When theski rack 1 is thus loaded, the clip supporting bars 71 are swungdownwardly and locked down by the dogs 95.

The carrier may be readily detached for storage or other purposes byreleasing the hooks 61 and pulling the suction cups 57 loose. The skipole rack 3 may be detached from the ski rack 1 by removing the bolts 81and the clip supporting bars 71 may then be folded on the pivots 75 intothe yoke 77, that is, between the check plates 79, into parallelback-to-back relation for compact arrangement with the ski rack 1parallel therewith to form with the ski rack a compact bundle forstorage purposes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a combined ski and ski pole carrier, a bar, means on said barattachable to an automobile top to support said bar on an automobile toptransversely thereof, and pairs of fixed and slidable clamping memberson said bar spaced longitudinally thereof for clamping skis at oppositesides of the skis in transverse position relative to said bar, each ofsaid pairs of clamping members including a fixed and a spring-loadedslidable saddle member.

2. In a combined ski and ski pole carrier, a bar, means on said barattachable to the top of an automobile top to support said bar on anautomobile top transversely thereof, a yoke rising from the transversecenter of said bar, a pair of bars having confronting ends pivoted tosaid yoke for vertical swinging of said pair of bars, angle brackets ontop of said pair of bars spaced along the same, ski pole holding clipson said brackets spaced thereby from said pair of bars and openingtoward the other ends of said pair of bars, and a tension springconnected to a pair of said brackets and overlying said yoke to swingsaid pair of bars upwardly.

37 In a combined ski and ski pole carrier, a bar, means on said barattachable to an automobile top to support said bar on an automobile toptransversely thereof, pairs.

of complemental fixed and slidable clamping members on said bar spacedlongitudinally thereof for clamping skis at opposite sides thereof intransverse position relative to said bar, a pair of ski pole rack barssurmounting said first named bar coplanar therewith and havingconfronting ends, a member rising from the transverse center of thefirst named bar and pivotally supporting said rack bars at theirconfronting ends for vertical swinging, and ski pole retaining clips onsaid rack bars swingable downwardly in response to downward swinging ofsaid ski poles, said pairs of clamping members and said ski poleretaining clips being relatively arranged for vertical alignment withrespect to each other in response to downward swinging of said skipoles. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4Germany Dec. 28, 1953

